I used to be concerned with Retirement

I was reading an article the other day about the school where I used to be a teacher. In it, they were talking about how they were excited to finally have their first graduating class. It is funny because I remember when those young adults were bright-eyed freshmen who had no idea what high school was going to look like and how they would fit in. I believe that describes the vast majority of us. It has been two years since I set foot in a classroom, picked up a textbook, or talked in front of a group of twenty plus, thirteen to fourteen year-olds.

I was a parttime teacher, parttime teacher assistant. I had a good life. Had the ability to have half of my Master's paid. Flexible hours. Great work environment. Mentorship. Teamwork. Retirement. A nest egg to sit on, in case, I wanted to retire at sixty. Small class sizes. Close location.  And me, well, I had it all together. Sounds about right. I mean having 12% put into a retirement account, every paycheck is great, is it not? 

Well, that was not for me. Now understand this, I love students, I loved teaching, I love my content areas. I helped out at school dances, took a group of eighth graders to Washington D.C., served detention with students, helped with Student council and the planning committee, and was a judge at the science fair. Yet, I was not enjoying what I was doing with my life. Four and half years of college, two degrees, an endorsement, and multiple loans, only served to show that I was unresolved with my career path. I dreaded it. Each day dragged on. I felt like I had wasted time.

I spent so much time, setting myself up for retirement and the future that I had neglected purpose and enjoyment. All of this time and energy was focused on what "I thought" I wanted to do or what others believed I should do. Yet, I never sought what I felt like I wanted to do. Funny how that should happen. I make a career choice out of external contributions and responses, and yet, never took into consideration my own perception. 

The summer of 2009 was the biggest eye opener I had ever come across, June to be more precise. During this excursion to Spain, I had my mind opened, heart wrecked and subsequently healed, and my purpose redirected. From June onward, my paradigm shifted. What had once been the bane of my career, had lost it's hold on my me. 

I need to point out a certain irony. The very same retirement account, I strived to acquire, I cashed in, in order to pay for the trips to India and Israel. The very thing I intended to acquire, was used to pay for leading trips. 

As for today, I am not overly concerned with retirement. Although it does need to be on my radar, it is not the reasoning behind why I do what I do. I realize now that the career path should not be regulated by how much time I must put in, but rather, doing what I love.